diff --git a/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index fbc40f70c2..07788e5865 100644
--- a/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -279,6 +279,9 @@ endif(UNIX)
 # assume we are using a Qt build without bearer management
 add_definitions(-DQT_NO_BEARERMANAGEMENT)
 
+# require JSDoc to be build before interface is deployed (Console Auto-complete)
+add_dependencies(${TARGET_NAME} jsdoc)
+
 if (APPLE)
   # link in required OS X frameworks and include the right GL headers
   find_library(OpenGL OpenGL)
@@ -299,6 +302,9 @@ if (APPLE)
     COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts"
     "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/../Resources/scripts"
+    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc/out/hifiJSDoc.json"
+    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/../Resources/auto-complete"
   )
 
   # call the fixup_interface macro to add required bundling commands for installation
@@ -313,6 +319,9 @@ else (APPLE)
     COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts"
     "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/scripts"
+    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc/out/hifiJSDoc.json"
+    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/resources/auto-complete"
   )
 
   # link target to external libraries
@@ -349,16 +358,6 @@ endif()
 
 add_bugsplat()
 
-# generate the JSDoc JSON for the JSConsole auto-completer
-add_custom_command(TARGET ${TARGET_NAME} #POST_BUILD
-  COMMAND npm install
-  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc
-)
-add_custom_command(TARGET ${TARGET_NAME}
-  COMMAND node_modules/.bin/jsdoc . -c config.json
-  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc
-)
-
 if (WIN32)
     set(EXTRA_DEPLOY_OPTIONS "--qmldir  \"${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/resources/qml\"")
 
diff --git a/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
index 16446c5071..ac920d930d 100644
--- a/tools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 add_subdirectory(scribe)
 set_target_properties(scribe PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tools")
 
+add_subdirectory(jsdoc)
+set_target_properties(jsdoc PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tools")
+
 if (BUILD_TOOLS)
   add_subdirectory(udt-test)
   set_target_properties(udt-test PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tools")
@@ -27,4 +30,3 @@ if (BUILD_TOOLS)
   add_subdirectory(auto-tester)
   set_target_properties(auto-tester PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tools")
 endif()
-
diff --git a/tools/jsdoc/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/jsdoc/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a9883a6ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/jsdoc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+set(TARGET_NAME jsdoc)
+
+add_custom_target(${TARGET_NAME})
+
+SET(JSDOC_WORKING_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc)
+file(TO_NATIVE_PATH ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR}/node_modules/.bin/jsdoc JSDOC_PATH)
+file(TO_NATIVE_PATH ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR}/config.json JSDOC_CONFIG_PATH)
+file(TO_NATIVE_PATH ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR} NATIVE_JSDOC_WORKING_DIR)
+
+add_custom_command(TARGET ${TARGET_NAME}
+  COMMAND (npm --no-progress install) & (${JSDOC_PATH} ${NATIVE_JSDOC_WORKING_DIR} -c ${JSDOC_CONFIG_PATH})
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR}
+  COMMENT "generate the JSDoc JSON for the JSConsole auto-completer"
+)
diff --git a/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifi.js b/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifi.js
index afa3285c37..c434ecc0d6 100644
--- a/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifi.js
+++ b/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifi.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ function endsWith(path, exts) {
 
 exports.handlers = {
     beforeParse: function(e) {
+        const pathTools = require('path');
+        var rootFolder = pathTools.dirname(e.filename);
         console.log("Scanning hifi source for jsdoc comments...");
 
         // directories to scan for jsdoc comments
@@ -34,9 +36,10 @@ exports.handlers = {
 
         const fs = require('fs');
         dirList.forEach(function (dir) {
-            var files = fs.readdirSync(dir)
+            var joinedDir = pathTools.join(rootFolder, dir);
+            var files = fs.readdirSync(joinedDir)
             files.forEach(function (file) {
-                var path = dir + "/" + file;
+                var path = pathTools.join(joinedDir, file);
                 if (fs.lstatSync(path).isFile() && endsWith(path, exts)) {
                     var data = fs.readFileSync(path, "utf8");
                     var reg = /(\/\*\*jsdoc(.|[\r\n])*?\*\/)/gm;
@@ -48,7 +51,7 @@ exports.handlers = {
             });
         });
 
-        fs.writeFile("out/hifiJSDoc.js", e.source, function(err) {
+        fs.writeFile(pathTools.join(rootFolder, "out/hifiJSDoc.js"), e.source, function(err) {
             if (err) {
                 return console.log(err);
             }
diff --git a/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifiJSONExport.js b/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifiJSONExport.js
index 7948fd2673..5531d3ff25 100644
--- a/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifiJSONExport.js
+++ b/tools/jsdoc/plugins/hifiJSONExport.js
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 exports.handlers = {
     processingComplete: function(e) {
+        const pathTools = require('path');
+        var rootFolder = pathTools.join(__dirname, '..');
         var doclets = e.doclets.map(doclet => Object.assign({}, doclet));
         const fs = require('fs');
         doclets.map(doclet => {delete doclet.meta; delete doclet.comment});
-        fs.writeFile("out/hifiJSDoc.json", JSON.stringify(doclets, null, 4), function(err) {
+        fs.writeFile(pathTools.join(rootFolder, "out/hifiJSDoc.json"), JSON.stringify(doclets, null, 4), function(err) {
             if (err) {
                 return console.log(err);
             }